Container



Nov. 22, 1949 G. c. ERB 2,488,528

CONTAINER Filed Jan, 4, 194e Patented Nov. 22, 1949 y CONTAINER George C. Erb, Forest Bills West, N. Y., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a.'

corporation of New Jersey Application January 4, 1946, Serial No. 638,980

. member secured thereto in a double seam and having an internal collar band wherein thecollar band extends to the top edge of the can body where the latter is embodied in .the end seam so that the usual head space allowed in the can after filling may be eliminated with a resulting utilization of the entire interior of the can for its contents.

Another object is the provision of such a can wherein a considerable reduction in the heights of standard cans of given diameters and product volumes may be effected with a resulting saving in material from'which the cans are made..

Another object is the provision of such a can wherein spilling of Ethe contents is prevented when opening the can.

Anotherobject is the provision of such a can wherein the height of the can after opening remains the same as before the'can was opened so that the interior volume of the can may be maintained upon removal of the tearing strip.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is ebetter understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of one side of a can embodying the instant invention; and

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing a modified form of the invention.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention Fig. 1 of the drawing illustrates a sheet met-al can preferably m-ade of tin plate or the like material and comprising a tubular body I and top and bottom end members I2.' I3 respectively. 'Ihe -bottom end member I3 preferably is of 'the countersunk panel type having inner and outer peripheral ilanges I5, I6 which enclose the lower edge ofthe body, the outer iiange I6 being interfolded with the body wall in an outwardly projecting double seam I'I. A compound lining material is incorporated in the seam to provide a hermetic joint.

Adjacent its upper end, the side wall of the body I I is folded back on itself in a multiple layer structure of three thicknesses of the body wall. providing an integral annular double thickness 1 Claim. (Cl. 220.*54)

collar band 2| and a contiguous outer body portion 22. The collar band 2I is disposed inside the `body and at its upper end terminates in a smooth, folded edge 24. -This edge 24 for-ins a seat for the top end member I2.

'Ilhe outer layer 22 of the folded portion-of the body is disposed in vertical alignment with the lower portion of the bodyl wall and forms a continuation of this wall. 'This outer layer or folded portion 22 of the body wall is formed with a conventional tearing strip 26 which extends completely around the body and which is set off by a pair of spaced and lparallel score lines 21.

The upper edge of the outer fold 22 of the body wall merges, along a line of bend or fold 29, into an outwardly extending flange 3I. This line of bend 29 is in the same horizontal plane or level vwith the upper folded edge 24 of the collar band flange 32 on the top end member I2 and thus provides an outwardly projecting double seam 33 for' permanently securing the top end member'to the body II.' Acompound lining 'material is in :claorptorated in the seam .to provide a hermetic oin The top end'member I2 preferably is formed with a sunken panel 35 having a short surrounding upright wall or inner flange 36 which engages against the inner surface of the collar band 2| near its upper folded edge 24. This inner flange 36 merges `into an annulus 3l -which extends across the upper folded edge 24 of the collar band and the bend 29 of the body sidewall and thence merges into the outer seam flange 32 of the end member.

Thus the short inner flange 36 and the annulus 3l, together with the body wall 22 adjacent its upper bend 29, sets oi a shallow pocket 39 which encloses the upper folded edge 24 of the collar band. It is this pocket that permits the collar band 2l to lbe coextensive with and extend all the way up to the top of the can body where it is in alignment with the end seam bend '29 of .the body wall. Since the top edge of the col-lar band is virtually the top edge of the can body. a very shallow end member may be utilized to close the can.

and hence considerably less material is required from which the can is made. This results in great savings 1n cost of can manufacture.

When the can is opened. by removal of the tearing strip 26 in the usual manner, the reclosure cover thus formed may be readily lifted oif the can to dispense its contents. In thus removing the tearing strip and the released cover, spilling of the contents is prevented because the collar band reaches up to a level at the top edge of the can where it is always above the level of the can contents. When the cover is replaced as a reclosure the collar band serves as a seat for the cover. The reclosure cover when replaced on the can is in the same position and at the same level as it was prior to being detached. Hence the interior volume of the can is not changed by removal of its tearing strip and thus this volume may be always maintained.

In the modied form of the invention, as disclosed in Fig. 2, the can body II is providedwith 4a separable annular collar band 4l. Adjacent its lower edge the collar band is bent outwardly into a bead 42 in the can body to hold it in place within the body. This collar band extends up along the inner surface of the body wall to the top of the can where the body wall merges, along the line of bend 29, into the flange 3l and end seam 33 as in the preferred form.

In this modified form of the invention the can is closed with a top end member I2 of the same type as used in the preferred form, the end member having the same pocket 39 for the reception of the upper end of the collar band 4|. In the drawing the upper end of the collar band is shown as terminating in a short hem 43 which is bent inwardly against the inner surface of the band, thus providing a smooth, folded edge M. Such a folded edge corresponds to the folded edge 24 of the integral collar band (Fig. 1) and also functions as a seat for the top end member I2. If desired the seat edge 44 may be formed by a hollow curl or other form of seat formed on the upper edge of the collar band, the form of the seat having no special significance as long as it is disposed coincident with or reaches to the level of the line of bend 29 of the end seam 3l.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

A sheet metal tearing strip container, comprising a tubular body having a tearing strip integrally formed inand disposed in the periphery of the body wall, a separate internal collar band secured to said body -wall and having its outer wall surface lying flat against the inner surface of said body wall, said collar band being folded inwardly upon itself to provide a smooth folded edge at its upper end disposed within and closely adjacent said body wall, the upper end of the body Wall being folded outwardly and disposed in substantial coextensive alignment with the upper smooth folded edgeof said collar band, and an end closure member including spaced connected inner and outer peripheral wall portions denning a shallow pocket for receiving the coextensive folded end portions of said body wall and collar band, said closure member being secured to said outwardly folded body wall in a double seam, said inner peripheral wall of the closure member l'ying flat against the inner wall surface of said collar band adjacent said folded edge thereof, said closure member with the adjacent double seamed portion of the container body wall being detachable as a unit upon opening of the container by removal of said tearing strip and thereafter replaceable into its original position for reclosure of the container with the adjacent upper folded edges of said body wall and collar band remaining in coextensive alignment to maintain the original longitudinal dimension of the container.

'GEORGE C. ERB.

l, REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,615,930 Burns Feb. 1, 1927 1,737,020 Peters Nov. 26, 1929 1,764,883 OBrien et al June 17, 1930 2,263,573 Erb Nov. 25, 1941 2,375,621 Burns May 8, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 19,849 Sweden Oct. 1, 1904 

